Having a passion for dance can be a lifelong pursuit. You may find yourself taking classes well through adulthood. That being said, loving dance doesn’t mean you want to become a dancer as your career. Did you know that the skills you gain through dancing can also lead to some fantastic and truly fulfilling careers off stage as well?

Some of the careers that are open to you outside of an on stage career are still very closely tied to performing.

• Choreographer – A career as a choreographer will allow you to continue to grow as a dancer and you will be directly involved in the creative process. There are a ton of options as far as where you work as well. You can teach in a studio, a school, for a small local or regional company, for a national company, or even choreograph for stage and screen! Choreographers have also been able to form their own companies which gives them total creative control.
• Stage Manager – If you would like to be a part of the show but maybe not the most visible part, Stage Management may be a good option for you. The Stage Manager has a huge amount of responsibility for smooth and safe performances and if you are managing for a dance company your knowledge of dance will definitely help you to excel. The great news is that you can actually study Stage Management at many arts schools which will give you the technical skills you need and sometimes even help with networking you into a good position.
• Arts/Theater Management – Your understanding of dance, performance, and having been through countless recitals will help you here. Being in charge of a performance space is challenging but very rewarding. There are multiple responsibilities depending on your position or level including but not limited to managing the theater itself, addressing maintenance needs, overseeing marketing, overseeing employees, fundraising, budgeting for productions, developing a season schedule. A great way to get experience with managing performance venues is to sign up to help at school shows or even our recital.
• Arts Funding – There are many was to keep dance alive in the hearts and minds of others and one way is to provide them with funding. You can learn to write grant applications, or go into managing and planning fundraising events for non-profit agencies that provide funding and support to the arts. You would also be an advocate for dance and performance in this position. This career has a ton of room for growth – you could one day find yourself working for the National Endowment for the Arts!
• Therapy Careers – Though Physical Therapy is usually the first position people think of, and dancers are well equipped to provide that care once they’ve been properly trained in school, Movement Therapy is also an option. This uses dance to help people with both physical and emotional therapy needs. We all know that dance allows you to lose yourself in the movement, builds confidence, and allows you to explore your emotions which is very helpful to people working through trauma or recovering from injury.
• Dance Photography – If you love photography you could combine two of your passions by pursuing this career. Your dance experience will be incredibly useful when framing shots and your dance vocabulary will help you as well, allowing you to communicate effectively to your dancers. You can be hired for dance wear catalogs, performance photos, dance magazines, arts publications and websites, as well as individual dance companies.

There are plenty of ways in which dance can support you in a future career, allowing you to turn your love of dance into a future you will love as well. The ones listed above are truly just a small sample so make sure to look into how you might be able to use your dance experience to land that dream job!